The general perception that winter sets in just after Diwali won’t happen this year. Weathermen have forecast that within the next 48 hours, Kolkata’s favourite season will kick off. So, when you go shopping for crackers, don’t forget to buy some woollens, too.
Meteorological officials
predicted on Wednesday that night temperature will drop below 20°C within a couple of days. It currently hovers around 21°C to 23°C. Humidity levels will also plummet giving Kolkatans the right ambience to feel that winter has arrived.

“The sky is expected to clear up within the next two days. This will bring the mercury down,” a senior official Met official said.

There was a nip in the air even before the Pujas. Migratory birds started flocking in the second week of October. Then came the Bhutiyas with their woollen products. But just as the chill was setting in, cyclone Nilam hit the Andhra-coast and brought with it the untimely rain and cloud cover.

No sooner had the effects of Nilam faded, another low-pressure trough developed over Gangetic Bengal. The trough, which extended from the Andhra coast to Manipur in the northeast, caused rain in the entire region. The system also thwarted the passage of the northerly winds. Instead, winds from the Bay of Bengal became strong and moisture started to gush in. Within days, temperature and humidity shot up.

The official said, “The low pressure trough is gradually weakening and is expected to completely fade away by Friday.”

Once the trough fades, northerly winds from north India will start blowing over the city pushing back the southerly winds. These northerly winds will bring the chill and dryness.